Parachute



v Apr-i120, 1943. T. c. SCHENK 2,317,115

PARACHUTE Filed Jan. 15, 1942 INVENTOR arnw Patented Apr. 20, 1943 t t I I UNITEDISTATES PA ENT-onion Tamis c. schenkl Richmond nm, N. Y., assignor to Richmond Screw Anchor Company, Inc;, Brooklyn, Y., a corporationof New York Application January 15, 1942, Serial No. 426,830 1 Claim. (c1. 244-145) This invention relates to parachutes and parsectional view of a portion of the parachute can- 'ticularly to means whereby the efllciency of a opy showing a modified construction; Fig. 5 is parachute may be increased, the landing or dea plan view of another modified structure; and scending speed may be reduced and other ad-i Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-8 of vantages obtained. 5 Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows. In parachutes as constructed at the present With reference to the structure-shown in F185. time the efiiciency of the same is primarily de- 1 t0 3 inclusive, t canopy of the W e s pendent upon the area of the surface presented, d ted at t being Shown in t open whereby gravity, cooperating with the presented distehded P The 01 the py surface area will cause a greater air pressure on 10 is e nstructedin the usual manner of the conthe under or concave side of the parachute canv ventionai light-weight textile fabric, and of the opy than is presented on the top or outer side l'eu Se n Stitched t t er i the of it. i v a manner well understood in this art. Thecanopy In the design of present-day parachutes, every y be Provided h the eenventlehel .eehtrelly effort is made to increase the pressure of the air located V penin 2- against the under, side of the cancer. while little In usual Pa ute construction, the Outer or no eifort has been directed toward setting up 1 convex face I of the canopy is relatively s eeth resistance on the outer or convex side of the and unbroken, ex p y the hing or re canopy to thereby reduce the air pressure on that orcing seams and possibly by other small eleside. Thus, parachutes are compelled to be of ments which do n rve o 117 manner inrelatively large diameter and in spite of that fact rr h m h, ntin ous flow of all over have 'a relatively high descending and landing the Outer surface or top of the py. so that speed which often results in fractured limbs or for all i t and pu pos s. the top surface .01 other injuries tOthe parachutist. h canopy s b t n al tr m ed" nd. The primary object of the present invention as the pe flg ute r p y descends, the fl is to provide, a parachute in which the outer or 18 P e edges of the 1 will Smooth]! convex side of the canopy shall be provided with 110W around and Over the l Side Of th 0D! means for destroying the normal stream-line" w h ut impedance, thereby providing n contour of the same, such means constituting ele- Pressure 0!! l t 3 t di g to mate-- ments arranged or disposed over a substantial rlally increase the descending sp 0f the paraarea of the canopy of the chute and tending to a ehute- It s the Purpose Of th pres nt invention set up head resistance, diifuse the air flow, pret0 P i me n by which the rapid closinl in vent rapid closing in of thank around the top of the Over the P t e me ute will surface of the canopy, thus materially reducing be prevented and theretsrdlns c e i position the air pressure on the top side of the canopy e h Pressure thereen will be a ned. and resulting in ajdecreased descending speed. i and with this in view several embodiments of With the improved construction, it will be found the e i are dieeleeed- 1 possible to reduce the area of the canopy, thus i I P SS- 1 t0 3 lsshewn a plurality of looped enabling the parachute to be not only made at e ent 4 extend ng Over a substantie Portion considerably less manufacturing cost, but en- 40 of the area of the outer .or convexiace of the abllng the same to be more compactly folded, a opr the P These 1009811187 he and more readily packed and stowed. It is gur ed to e end Over the entire area of the ther contemplated that the arrangement of ele- Outer Surface 0 he anopy 01' they may be aiments on the exterior of the canopy tending to nged only o such portion thereof as m decrease the air pressure on top oi. the canopy, be found'necessaryto secure the'desired descendwill also materially aid in the opening of the par ingspeed for a given expanse of canopy. In the achute and other advantages will be secured as form shown the loops are formed by i will be apparent to those skilled in this art. lengthy strips or fabric tapes circumferentially- In the accompanying drawing, wherein several around the canopy, by transverselines of stitchembodiments of the invention are shown, Fig. 1 ing 5 formingthe loops so that while the parais a plan view of the canopy of a parachute conchute is in descent the loops will act to catch structed in accordance with the invention; Fig. the airflow,- break it up or diffuse it into a plu- 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is an'edge rality or streams and materially retard it from view of the parachute canopy showing the arclosing overv and exerting maximum pressure ra s i t 91 t v i s 1 1' 8- 15 l 0 the pp r surface 01: theicanopy. It wiilbe noted that the loops inone of the strips are disposed in staggered relation to those in the adjacent strip as clearly disclosed in Fig. 3 to thereby further break up or diffuse the air flow.

Asis clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 3, the fabric tapes or bands stitched to the outside of the canopy to form the pockets, are concentrically arranged and are located relatively close to one another. In fact, it is desirable to space these bands at distances no greater than the width of each of the bands so that air streams flowing into the pockets in one band will immediately enter or be diffused by those in the next band.

In the embodiment of the invention disclosed in Fig. 4 the top or convex face 3 of the: canopy is provided with a plurality of circumferentially extending bands or webs ill, stitched to the canopy by the longitudinal lines of stitching 6. On the descent of the parachute, the air will strike against these webs, forcing the same to radially distended position, as shown in Fig. 4. A plurality of restraining cords l are employed to prevent the webs from being folded back against the surface of the canopy under the air pressure impinging against them.

In the embodiment of the invention disclosed in Fig. 5, the outer or convex surface of the canopy is provided with a plurality of spirally disposed fabric vanes, one group of vanes indicated at 3, extending on spiral lines in one direction. while those in the group indicated at 9 spiralling in an opposite direction. This opposite spiral arrangement prevents the parachute from being rotated during descent as would likely to occur should a single set of spiral vanes, all spiralled in the same direction, be employed. These vanes may be composed of textile fabric strips or other material of flexible nature held by stitching H and capable of permitting collapse and folding of the canopy when the parachute is folded, packed and stowed.

While I have shown several embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The arrangement and disposition of the projecting elements on the outer or convex surface of the canopy, the area of the canopy over which these elements are disposed and other constructional details may be materially modified as will be comprehended by those skilled in this art. In the use of the parachute, the projecting elements disposed on the outside of the canopy will break up, diffuse or otherwise materially impede the flow of air over the top of the parachute canopy thereby materially reducing the pressure thereon and slowing down the descending speed of the parachute accordingly. Thus it will be obvious that the area or span of the canopy employed may be reduced with all of the advantages following therefrom.

What I claim is:

A parachute having a canopy provided with a plurality of concentrically arranged flexible bands secured to its outer surface and arranged in spaced relation thereon, said bands being spaced from one another at distances no greater than the width of each of the bands, the bands being transversely stitched at spaced points to provide loops adapted to be distended by air flow over the outer surface of the canopy and decrease the air pressure thereover, the transverse stitchings of one band being disaligned relative to those of the adjacent bands whereby the loops in each band are arranged in staggered relation to those in the adjacent bands.

TAMIS C. SCHENK. 

